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Samanta Bullock Launches First Collection Inclusive & Sustainable

It is sometimes difficult to find accessible fashion that is also on trend, our marketing manager Claire knows this first hand. Slowly but surely though, this is changing, and below is an article about one designer who is helping that happen.

How It All Began

Being a wheelchair model from an early age, Samanta Bullock has always felt frustrated by the lack of high-quality clothes available in the market for people with physical disabilities.

After a few years of fighting for inclusion in the fashion industry, Samanta began to question herself: “What is the use of having more disabled models on the catwalks, if there are no clothes made for these consumers?”

Samanta then decided to join forces with innovative designers and to develop her own brand, tailored to her own needs, such as more practical zippers, waist-high trousers, cropped jackets with vegan leather details on the sleeves to prevent to dirt them on the wheels of the chair, sustainable jewellery inspired in the force of transformation of nature, body creams specially developed to help activate the circulation of the legs, among other novelties.

Following the slow fashion movement, Samanta explains that the philosophy of the brand is to prioritize quality over quantity. Launching two collections a year, the men’s line will be added next year, by 2020. “It’s better to invest in stylish, high-quality and comfortable pieces than buying clothes that just last a few washes, and do not fit well on the body”.

Marketplace

Unfortunately, the lack of choice of clothing adapted to the physically disabled has been a harsh reality faced by potential consumers until nowadays.

While the main players in the fashion industry struggle to call attention to the customers distracted among so many options available in the market, 20% of the world’s population, with a spending power of US$ 1 trillion, go completely unnoticed and ignored right under the noses of the large corporations.

It is the international market for people with disabilities.

In the United Kingdom, the term “Purple Pound” refers to the spending power of the 13.3 million people with disabilities in the country, with a potential consumption of £ 249 billion per year!

Loss

According to a recent survey by the ‘We are Purple’ organisation in the UK, companies lose approximately £ 2 billion a month, ignoring the needs of people with disabilities. Physical stores lose £ 267 million a month because they are not physically accessible. And 75% of people with disabilities have already had to leave an establishment due to lack of accessibility and customer care.

Opportunity

It’s exciting to see Samanta driving forward inclusive fashion and seizing the opportunity offered by the purple pound. We look forward to seeing her business develop and grow.

If you have an inclusive business, project of service then get in touch to see if we could help share your story or collaborate to develop more inclusive destinations.

I graduated from the University of Dundee in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Applied Computing. During my studies the field that I had a great interest in was web development however since graduating I have also become very interested in accessibility.
I was born with Congenital Muscular Dystrophy and since the age of 3 I have used a wheelchair 24/7. Due to my disability I have always come across problems regarding accessibility, which is why it’s such a passion for me.